Computer Ram?

Question

ok i want to upgrd my comp's ram to a 1000 but recently i discovered that some ddr 1gb ram stick are like $30 at tiger direct while some are $90, my question is why? and can i take just ANY ram sticks and put in my computer? thnx for you're help oh and is tiger direct safe? could i trust them and do i have to use my credit card?

Answer 1

Your computer is made for ram a 'certain way'.... It should be on your motherboard spec or go to your manufacturer's site to find out. Some computers even were fully about which slots took ram first. The best guide is to look at your spec sheet and it will tell you exactly the type of ram you need, what the maximum ram it will take, and if it has to go in from right to left or left to right or... it doesn't matter......

No matter what type of ram you want, you only can put in the type that will work with your motherboard.

Answer 2

First, you have to know how much RAM your computer will accept. If it uses DDR it should suport at least 1GB. Next you need to know how much and of what speed the memory you have is now, and how many free slots there are. The best way to discover this is to open the case and look for the RAM. It will be a small 1" by 4" (approx.) stick(s). If there are free slots next to the installed memory, you're good to go with adding additional memory. Take the installed memory out by pulling away the clipe on either side. It will "pop" out. Look at the stick(s) and see if they have any information. Often they will be labeled by the manufacturer as to their capacity and speed (example 256MB DDR333). If they are DDR400 or 333, and you have free slots, you can add more DDR400.

To upgrade to 1024MB (1GB, not 1000), add to what you already have. You DO NOT have to replace the memory already installed, unless there are no more free slots.

256MB + 256MB + 256MB + 256MB = 1GB
if you have 4 slots
512MB + 512MB = 1GB
if you have 2 slots

and so on.

The reason there are differing prices is simple. Marketing, advertising, and specifications.

Tiger Direct is a good enough company, and can be trusted with credit card information, but look to NewEgg.com instead. Better prices all around.

1GB DDR400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161626
$49

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161615
512MB DDR400
$24

Hope that helps.

Jason

http://www.onestoptechnologyshop.com
[e-mail]

Answer 3

There are a couple of things that effect ram prices-

1) Brand (Some brands like to charge more due to their reputation and what not)

2) Latency (lower latency will run much faster then high latency ram)

3) Heat spreaders (unless you are going to overclock your ram you dont need them)

4) Specalization (ram that is designed for gaming and overclocking will cost much more then ram that is for basic PC use)

5) Bus Speed (higher the bus speed the faster the ram and higher the price)

I would try 2 find ram that matches what you have in your pc already just to make sure its compatible. Other wise you can have some problems with stability.

Hope that helps

Answer 4

Tiger Direct is legitimate. I recommend telephoning them. They will help you determine what RAM you need for you computer and determine which will meet your needs.

Some RAM is faster, but your system has to be able to use the faster RAM. Also, you'll pay more for better heat sinks on the RAM. Some RAM has lifetime guarantees.

Answer 5

Hi. Your first answer is excellent. You can scan using the memory scanner at Crucial. http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx?gclid=ck7_nydd2o8cfqdefqod8ezb7q
Have fun! (Tiger Direct is a trustworthy site.)